Device for attaching stay-wires to fences



(No Model.)

P. FOSTER. DEVICE FOR ATTACHING STAY WIRES TO FENCES.

Patented Julie 15, 1897.

NlTED STATES I Fricn.

PATENT FRANKLIN FOSTER, OF VVOODMERE, MICHIGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 584,583, dated June 15,1897.

Application filed March 29, 1897- $erial No. 629,729. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN FOSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at WVoodmere, in the county of WVayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for AttachingStay- WVires to Fences; and I dodeclare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to an improved device in attaching stay-wires tothe line-wires of the fences; and it consists in the construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outparticularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means forattaching the vertical stay-wires to the horizontal line-wires of afence in such manner as to enable the stay-wire to be quickly andsecurely attached by winding it successively around said horizontalwires, the arrangement being such that the stay-wires are carried in acontinuous coil upon a rotary drum, from which the staywire is unwoundas it is required for use. This object is attained by the mechanismillus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a planView of a portion of a fence, showing the application of my improveddevice for attaching stay-wires thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sideelevation of the drum or reel upon which the stay-wire is mounted. Fig.3 is a diametrical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, the wire being omittedfrom the drum of the reel. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is anenlarged detail in elevation of the forked guide carried by a portion ofthe reel which receives the line or horizontal wires of the fence andwhich is also provided with an aperture below said guide through whichthe stay-wire passes. Fig. 6 is a detail in elevation of a projectingguideplate carried by the reel and adapted to be attached to theline-wires to assist in retaining the reel in operative position.

Referring to the letters of reference, A

designates the fixed or stationary portion of the reel, which consistsof a series of radial arms of any desired diameter. Two of these arms Iwill term the horizontal arms, of which the arm 1) is provided with anintegral guide-plate 0, having the upwardly-extending fork c. This forkstands at right angles to the plane of the arm Z) and one of its sidesstands outward beyond the plane thereof, so as to more freely receivethe line-wire D, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4-, a way a (seeFig. 4) being cut in the face of said arm to accommodate said wire.Below the fork c in the inner lower corner of the guide-plate C is aguide-aperture 0, through which the stay-wire E is fed. The oppositehorizontal arm dis provided at its outer end with a right angleguide-plate f, which stands outward from the face of said arm and isprovided at its outer end with an open slot 6, which is adapted tofreely receive the line-wire D and in which said wire may be temporarilysecured t0 the pivoted latch orbutton e, which closes said slot, butwhich may be swung away from said slotted opening to relieve said wirewhen desired.

The rotary portion of the reel consists of a drum F, which is formedintegral with a circular disk Gr, whose diameter is equal to that of theradial arms of the part A, and which, together with said arms, forms aguide which keeps in place the coil of stay-wire E, which is mountedupon said drum and rises between said disk and said arms, as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and f. The two parts of said reel are secured togetherby means of a bolt 72, which extends from the fixed part A and passesthrough the center of the disk G, its outer end passing through anelliptical spring g, whose ends bear upon the face of said disk andwhich is confined by the thumb-nut H, which is screwed upon the outerend of said bolt. By this arrangement the parts of the reel areyieldingly held together and the drum F is permitted to rotate while thepart A may be held stationary. The spring g permits a slight lateralplay of the drum and at the same time its tension prevents the drum fromrotating except as required.

In the application of this improved device the reel is first filled withthe stay-wire by reeling the wire onto the drum F through the rotationthereof by means of the crank I, projecting from the face of the disk G.WVhen. the reel shall have become filled, the free end of the stay-wireE is passed outward through the aperture 0 in the guide-plate 0, saidwire passing upward through said aperture from the under side of thereel, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The free end of the stay-wireprojecting from said guide-plate is then wound around the upper staywire of the fence. This is accomplished by mounting the reel upon theupper wire of the fence, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that said upperwire shall lie in the fork of the guide-plate O and in the slottedopening 6 of the plate f, being secured therein by the pivoted button 6.The free end of the stay-wire is then held against the line-wire D andthe reel rotated around said wire, whereby the stay-wire is twistedaround the line-wire, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The stay-wire may bewound around the line-wire in this way two or more times, so as tofirmly secure the end thereof, when the reel is detached and passeddownward to the next successive line-wire of the fence, the stay-wire Epaying off from said reel as it is passed downward. The reel is securedto the succeeding line-wire in like manner, so that said wire shall liein the fork c and in the slotted opening 6 of the plate f, when byrotating said reel the stay wire is wound tightly around the succeedingline-Wire of the fence upon which said reel is mounted, the upwardstrain upon the stay-wire keeping the linewire securely in the fork c ofthe guide-plate, and the pivoted button 6, closing the opening of theslot e in the guide-plate f, securely retains the reel in position onthe line-wire as it is rotated. In this manner the staywire is woundaround each successive linewire of the fence from the top to the bottomand is severed afterward, being wrapped around the bottom wire and theoperation repeated at such distance from the first staywire as it isdesired that said stay-wires shall be placed.

In the operation of applying the stay-wires by this improved device itis necessary to support the longitudinal wires of the fence at the pointof attachment of the stay-wire, so that the said wires may be maintainedat the proper distance apart. This I accomplish by means of a portablestake J, the edge of which is notched (not shown) so as to receive thelongitudinal wires of the fence and maintain them the requisite distanceapart while the stay-wire is being applied thereto.

It will now be seen that this improved device is simple, compact, andpracticable, enabling the stay-wire to be applied to the linewires'ofthe fence without the use of additional tools and in a very perfect andrapid manner, and because of the comparatively small diameter of thereel upon which the stay-wire is wound the stays may be applied tofences in which the line-wires are very close together.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device for attaching stay-wires to fences, the reel comprising afixed and a rotary member, the fixed member of the reel having means forattachment to the line-wire of the fence, the rotary member of the reelturning on the fixed member and adapted to carry the stay-wire to windupon the linewires of the fence.

2. In a device for attaching stay-wires to fences, the reel consistingof a fixed and a rotary member, the fixed member having engaging guidesfor attaching it to the line-wire and having a guide-plate to receivethe staywire, the rotary member consisting of a drum jour'naled to thefixed member and adapted to carry the stay-wire which is supplied tosaid guide-plate and wound upon the linewires of the fence.

3. In a device for attaching stay-wires to fences, the two-part reelconsisting of a fixed part carrying suitable attaching means fordetachably mounting said part upon the linewire and having a guide-plateadapted to receive the stay-wire, the rotary part yieldingly journaledupon the fixed part and hav ing a drum from which the stay-wire isadapted to be supplied to said guide-plate and wound upon the line-Wiresof the fence.

4. In a device for attaching stay-wires to fences, the two-part reelconsisting of a fixed member having means for attachment to the linefence-wires and provided witha projecting bolt, the rotary memberconsisting of a drum journaled upon said bolt, a spring through whichsaid bolt passes, and a thumbnut on the end of said bolt bearing againstsaid spring, said drum being adapted to carry the stay-wire which iswound upon the line wires of the fence, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN FOSTER.

IVitnesses:

EDGAR S. WHEELER, M. A. MARTIN.

